This is the most compelling fantasy I've read in such a long time. I so deeply enjoyed the delve into the folklore of sea sirens, a departure from so many creatures we see often in fantasy. The palace intrigue, tangled allegiances, divine magic, and romantic themes of this story made for quite the page turner. The unique qualities of the kingdoms and the well fleshed out side characters made this a five star read. I cannot wait for the second book to complete the duology.

With curses whispered in the dead of night and treacherous alliances that twist with every page, this book plunges readers into a world where the pull of the sea is as irresistible as the thirst for power—and both can drown you if you're not careful.

Imogen is trapped in a dangerous game where secrets and survival are her only options. Betrothed to a Captain she barely knows, Imogen’s powers as a siren are both a gift and a curse—one she has yet to fully understand. As the tides of fate shift, she’s forced into a fragile alliance with Theo, a neighboring ruler with whom she shares nothing but mutual disdain. Their forced partnership crackles with tension and an almost palpable animosity, yet it’s their banter and reluctant camaraderie that provide some of the book’s most engaging moments. Watching them evolve from enemies to uneasy allies bound together by something much larger than themselves is both entertaining and riveting, especially as they begin to unravel the deeper mysteries that threaten to destroy them both.

The story is dark and deliciously twisted, populated by morally gray characters who are more than willing to get their hands dirty in pursuit of their own ambitions. Imogen, in particular, is a fascinating character—both a prisoner to her king and to the darker parts of herself as she learns to wield her siren powers. Her internal struggle is mirrored by the increasingly dangerous external world she navigates, full of treachery, betrayal, and shifting allegiances. This creates a constant sense of tension that keeps the reader hooked, wondering who will betray whom next.

The world-building, while immersive and rich in atmosphere, can occasionally be a bit hard to follow—particularly when it comes to the sea creatures and magical systems that govern this universe. Still, the sheer power and malevolence of the mage introduced in the story is chilling, offering a stark reminder of how power can twist, corrupt, and leave a trail of decay in its wake.

While some may find themselves hoping for more steam and romance, “In the Veins of the Drowning” masterfully teases just enough to leave you wanting more as the tension between Imogen and Theo builds. The undercurrent of longing and desire ignites on each page, and while the book doesn’t fully deliver on that front, it does give just enough to hook you for more.

Fans of dark fantasy will definitely want to stick around for the next installment—after all, who can resist the call of a siren?

**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review**

Very enjoyable book to read. It was a nice change from dragons, wizards and vampires. Looking forward to reading her next book as the story progresses

My heart is afloat in a raging sea. Send help. I am not okay. This book has broken me.

Beauty and Horror coexist In the Veins of the Drowning.

Prepare yourself for gorgeous gowns, sea voyages, fragrant gardens and palaces, carriages, breathtaking scenery and sweet wine.

Prepare for blood. Prepare for flesh. Prepare for heart-rending decisions, terrifying secrets, epic fights on a raging, stormy sea.

This journey will rip you to shreds.

Protagonist Imogen has a perfect mix of excruciating vulnerability and fierce determination. You will feel her pain like it’s your own—and the satisfaction too—as she aggressively fights for herself in her bleak world. She had me in her corner from the start.

Theodore is, well, SERIOUSLY HOT. We love a tortured man with sharp, heart pinching dialogue. He’s angry, he’s powerful, he’s deliciously moral. Every description of him had me swooning. A world with him is golden, beautiful and safe. I’d bind myself to Theodore any day.

The book goes from slow burn steamy to delightfully spicy, spicy. You may find yourself writing the author a thank you letter.

But don’t let the irresistible love scenes let you drop your guard as the story will turn and ravage you in the very best way.

Lush, visceral, somatic, dangerous, warm, emotional.
VEINS grips you in its talons and doesn't let go. An adventurous page-turner that would be a perfect first-dive into the world of Romantasy. The story will lure you from the Mountain to the Surface to the Deep and will leave you pining for the second half of the duology!

This book wrapped its song around me and dragged me into its depths. A beautiful story about breaking through what you’ve always been told about yourself and finding your destiny and home. Thank you to Kalie, Little, Brown & Company, and NetGalley for the advanced release copy.

A slow burn romance where a God-king binds himself to a beautiful Siren. Imogen’s journey is immensely relatable as we have all had to venture out and find our place at some point in time; whether that journey was short or long for you. There were deliciously torturous moments watching Imogen & Theodore come so close to admitting their attraction. Ultimately, it was worth the wait.

The world building and imagery were perfectly done for me. I feel as though I have journeyed with these characters through seas, countrysides & gardens. The ending sets the stage for a fantastic next installment as we will watch Imogen grow into the boundless powers that were hidden from her for so long.

This book was an absolute delight! I really loved how Imogen felt so real, with flaws, mistakes, and growth that made me care about her. I'm eager to read the next book in the series. Highly recommend!

This book is a difficult book for me to rate because it started off so weak, to the point I was ready to put it down, yet it finished off so strong. The first half of the book is a drag. There were many times I found myself confused as to what was happening, which made it hard to really connect with. About midway, however, this book started getting good. I was actually surprised by how good it got! Once you get past the first half, you'll be good. You'll be consumed by not only thr plot, but the writing. The author has done a wonderful job with the writing - much of it is just beautifully written. A 4-star read!
Thank you NetGalley, Little, Brown and Company, and Kalie Cassidy for this ARC.

What an emotional roller coaster! I read this book in a day, I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. I really enjoyed Imogen as a character. She really was a strong FMC which is refreshing. I enjoyed the world as well, I loved the Sirens were winged creatures with claws. The Gods were interesting as well. I am rooting for Imogen and Theodore I cannot wait for the second book!

Thank you Net Galley for an advanced copy.

Thank you NetGalley and Little, Brown for providing an advanced e-copy of this book!

This story follows Imogen, a siren who has lived her life hiding what she truly is and trapped in a fort up and away from the sea by an incredibly cruel man. Hidden in plain sight, she’s surrounded by men and women who believe sirens to be monsters. When Theodore, King of Varya, visits he knows who and what she is. Theodore believes Imogen is the key to saving both of their kingdoms. As her true identity is threatened to be revealed, thus threatening her life, he agrees to a blood bond and takes her away from the cruel kingdom she’s grown up in. And if you think that’s that, you would be very wrong indeed. A path to safety couldn’t be made easy.

I devoured this book in less than a day and it was an absolute delight to read. I will always be a lover of morally grey, dark characters…but the softness, the longing, the utter devotion Theodore had for Imogen was so wonderful to read. I need more men begging on their knees for powerful women to love them.

I quickly became immersed in this world. I really enjoyed both of the main characters and seeing their relationship develop over time. It felt like a natural progression in the story but never felt like it took over the underlying plot. Both characters maintained their core personalities but did not feel so stubborn that they couldn’t grow. There’s sass and feistiness on both sides which was entertaining and had me immediately rereading certain parts because it was so fun. Aside from the romance (which, again, delightful) this was also a clear beginning to a much larger world. Between Mage Seers and Sirens and Great Gods and Goddesses, I loved learning about how they all fit together. It also didn’t feel forced, which happens sometimes when there’s a story that you’re trying to connect. It felt like layer by layer, we were learning more about the intricacies of the world…including how the political makeup impacts everything and everyone.

I also greatly enjoyed the writing style, which is usually what I struggle with in fantasy books. There are books you feel like don’t make much sense, or they’re too wordy to follow, or they jump around too much. Or in many cases, there is way too much going on that it becomes so confusing I can’t continue. This felt well paced with room to grow. I’m excited to see where this series takes us and will absolutely be following to see when the next comes out.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC! 3.5 from me on this one. I was in the mood for a dark, lush romantasy that I could burn through in a day or two and this definitely scratched the itch. I enjoyed the unique take on sirens (the winged, talon-bearing kind rather than the menacing mermaid version) although I definitely wanted more world building and lore about the sirens. I have a lot of questions haha.

The pacing and character development felt rocky and rushed at the beginning but it settled in as it went along and I enjoyed it more than I initially expected to. It hooked me in and made me want to keep reading. A bit disappointed that the sequel (it’s set to be a duology) won’t be out for who knows how long!

The author has a thorough list of content warnings on her website that I appreciated. It was pretty dark and had more sexual content and language than I usually read but I was glad to know to expect it before going in. Look for the release of this debut romantasy in July!

This whirlwind fantasy novel tears apart the usual siren/mermaid pairing to offer instead sirens with wings plus power over water (along with men’s minds and breath). Beginning with Gods and Goddesses (or their gifted descendants) that lead kingdoms, this isn’t a known mythology or world. Too, the characters can create or break blood bond with both the creation and dissolution of the bonds involving pain. The reader drowns in the first few pages as they begin to understand the characters, setting and mythos and some may DNF due to the unreliable narrators.

The main and characters were believable and sprung from the pages. However, I had problems with the political and security aspects; especially the rulers as they interacted with each other. Who visits another kingdom with a retinue of fourteen arms men and no other servants (stable hands, valets, etc.)?

Book does not end with satisfactory conclusion but instead leads into sequel.

Teaser chapter MIA.

Did anyone else feel like this started right in the middle? Because it felt to me like I spent the whole time reading trying to catch up with the story.

Honestly? I'm just glad I can finally cross this one off my NG shelf.

I can see the potential. But the worldbuilding needs more work. And I could never understand the characters' motives. I was so confused (am I just stupid?) for the most part.

I'm sorry if this review isn't making sense. But if that's how you feel reading this very short review, then you know exactly how I felt reading the entirety of this book.

Dark and decadent, full of twists and shocking revelations. I devoured this book and book 2 can't come soon enough.

I was instantly pulled in by the lush setting and the captivating, swoon-worthy characters. Imogen's journey through this book and her self-discovery was thrilling to read about and left me wanting more. She's just a girl looking to find herself and where she belongs in this dark and twisted world, longing for love and acceptance.

This is a heart-wrenching romance woven with Siren lore and treachery. A story of finding where one belongs and how to live within a world filled with schemes and lies around every corner.

Couldn't put it down! Really enjoyed this book—the relationship dynamic of the main duo is engaging, the stakes are exciting, and the pacing is consistent. That being said—it moves at a breakneck pace. I appreciate that in a world where I could see an author turning a book like this into a three part series, but then there's that part of me that yearns for more interactions between the two main characters. However, there were times where I felt issues were answered within pages of being introduced, which let a bit of the wind out of the sails—there was also a fairly large timeline disparity in some of the lore. Overall I thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to seeing this author's other work.

The above was written as I rounded into the ending of the book, now that I've completed it:

Based on the pacing of the book I assumed that the whole story was being fit into the 300-ish ebook pages. But unfortunately this seems to be the start of a series (hopefully a duology, again based on the pacing)—and therefore I actually wish the pacing was a bit slower so we'd have more time with the characters if we're already going to be breaking it up into parts. Now that I've completed I can still say that I thoroughly enjoyed it and am looking forward to reading more as it comes out.

This book immerses you in a hauntingly captivating story of resilience, self-discovery, and forbidden bonds. Imogen is the kind of heroine who grabs your heart and doesn’t let go. The prose masterfully paints a world on the brink of collapse, rich in detail and charged with raw emotion. The slow-burn relationship between the characters crackles with tension, duty, and an irresistible pull, making every exchange feel electric. It’s a story about strength, vulnerability, and finding trust when betrayal seems like the only certainty.

4.5 rounded up to 5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown for an advanced reader copy. This book was pure magic — I haven’t read a siren fantasy novel before and was not disappointed! This book had me hooked and I didn’t want to put it down. The writing was beautiful, the plot was interesting, and there were twists and turns. Imogen and Theo were well written characters and I just found myself wanting more. Torn between duty and desire is one of my guilty pleasure tropes! The last 10% of the book didn’t hold my interest as much as the first 90%, but I’m intrigued to see where the story goes in the sequel!

If you only read one book this year, let it be IN THE VEINS OF THE DROWNING. Hands down one of my favorite books I've ever read.

This was absolutely delicious and incredible! One of my favorite books I read in the past few years and I can't wait for book two. I plan to shout about this book everywhere I can. So lush, violent, rage-filled, romantic and perfect. New fave author!

A truly powerful debut. Enchanting, sexy, and un-put-downable. I adored Imogen’s arc—coming into her strength and power while simultaneously fearing it. Full of satisfying twists and prose that makes you taste the salt in the air, this lovely and sometimes terrifying world Cassidy crafted begged me to stay and savor every word. A book for lovers of sultry romance and magic. I’m already yearning for book 2!